Getting IN is our interview series with emerging PR professionals making their way in the industry. In this interview with PR Assistant Bailey Emmons (who also happens to be a recent PRISM course grad), you’ll learn how she went from Intern to Coordinator in just six months at lifestyle PR agency Moderne Press, and the tools that are essential to her job.
Name: Bailey EmmonsAs a college student studying communication, I also enjoyed fashion and was looking for a way to combine the two fields. I had taken one public relations course, but it mainly focused on tech and sustainability (two major themes in the Silicon Valley), neither of which was an area I was interested in working in. When I discovered PR Couture, I realized it was possible to work in both the fashion and the PR worlds, and with the site’s agency directory, I found Moderne Press and realized I wouldn’t have to leave the Bay Area to find opportunities.
I started following Moderne Press on Instagram. In October, Connie posted that they were looking for an intern and so I applied. After an initial phone interview with the PR Director and an in-person interview with Connie, I got a call offering me the internship. I was an intern with the agency for six months before being offered a full-time assistant position.
Moderne Press is a boutique public relations and social media agency, specializing in working with fashion, lifestyle, home décor and kids brands. We work closely with small businesses to establish their brand voice and create recognition.
I work on many of the social media campaigns for our clients. Whether it’s seeding products to influencers, organizing cross-brand and loop giveaways or posting content on a brand’s behalf, I’ve gotten to work with dozens of bloggers and brands on different kinds of projects.
It’s important to stay on top of trends and timing – most editors are working months in advance, so keeping an eye on their current and upcoming projects will help when it comes to pitching at the right time. Following up is also essential – I can’t tell you how many times people have responded saying they missed my initial outreach!
In terms of software, we use a program called Flow to organize and delegate tasks among our team. I write lists and notes constantly, so it’s great to have everything in one place. They even have a smartphone app! For client social media management, we use an app called UNUM to plan Instagram posts and view analytics.
I used to be nervous about asking questions because I thought it would make me look silly, but I quickly realized that feeling silly about asking a question is way better than making an easily avoidable mistake.
Look everywhere! LinkedIn and Indeed.com are great, but my internship was actually posted on Craigslist! Also, searching hashtags like #fashionpr and #printernship can help you find listings in unexpected places, like Instagram or Twitter.
I used to be nervous about asking questions because I thought it would make me look silly, but I quickly realized that feeling silly about asking a question is way better than making an easily avoidable mistake.
Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there! I had limited PR knowledge and experience, and didn’t feel totally qualified for a position in the field, but I applied anyway knowing it was something I really wanted to try.
Bailey is also a Prismadonna (a graduate of our signature PRISM Course), so I had a few bonus questions to ask her about her experience:
I loved that PRISM is a digital course, so I was able to work on it wherever and whenever worked best with my schedule. I was excited to get started, and loved that I was learning about PR in a totally different context than in school – one I was really interested in!
The networking tips have been so valuable. Relationships really are everything, and it is so helpful to make those connections with media, your PR peers and brands. You never know when the contact you’re emailing with at one magazine may move on to another, or when that brand you collaborated with on a giveaway might be looking for a PR agency of their own.
Being a part of the Alumni group has great added value for me; it’s great to have a support network to go to with questions and opportunities. Now I’m just much more confident with reaching out to people to see if I can help with projects.
Thanks Bailey!
